(Guadalupe County) — Guadalupe County Commissioner Pct. 4 Stephen Germann is urging public awareness after discovering that a CPS Energy pipeline project is “quietly moving through the county.”
Germann, who also owns land in the affected area, is hosting a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. today at the New Berlin City Hall. Germann says the idea for the meeting is to brief residents on what he says has been a largely hidden infrastructure project with major implications for local landowners and communities.
“It goes from the Deely Power Plant in Elmendorf across — all of New Berlin, across Guadalupe County below IH-10 and goes to the CPS plant in Seguin. But on the west side of Seguin, it tees off in the area of Pioneer Road and heads north. It goes to the power plant in Santa Clara. And then, it heads kind of to the Northwest. They say the eventual destination is somewhere where US 281 and I-35 meet on the northeast side of San Antonio,” said Germann.
According to the commissioner, he only learned of the pipeline 10 days ago, when his wife who was leaving their driveway on Gin Spur Road questioned a surveying crew across the street.
He says the crew identified the project as the CPS Outer Loop Pipeline. That’s when he says he was prompted to begin asking questions.
In contacting CPS, Germann admits to telling them that “they are shut down” until they come have a development meeting with the county.
That meeting is also scheduled for today at 1 p.m. Germann says the idea is to learn more about the project so that he can roll out those details to the public this evening.
As for the town hall meeting, Germann says CPS or pipeline developers will not be invited. He says this meeting is for the residents so that they can “talk among themselves” and get the facts without pressure.
“I want them to know about the project, if it’s on their land, or also the dangers that this pipeline, if it’s near where they live. And that is what’s important. And my main goal with the meeting is to put out information on this because this is a huge project in Guadalupe County and no one has been told anything about it,” said Germann.
City of St. Hedwig officials are also showing interest, with the city manager reportedly also inviting those who might be impacted.
The town hall meeting, again, is set for today (Wednesday, July 23) at 7 p.m. at New Berlin Community Center. The building is located at 9180 FM 775 La Vernia 78121.
As of press time, CPS had not responded to the Seguin Daily News’s request for specifics behind the project.